design is to gratify the senses, and keep up | horse, and that there was actually a proan indolent attention in the audience. Com- ject of bringing the New-river into the mon sense, however, requires, that there house, to be employed in jetteaus and washould be nothing in the scenes and ma-ter-works. This project, as I have since chines, which may appear childish and heard, is postponed till the summer season, absurd. How would the wits of King when it is thought the coolness that proCharles's time have laughed to have seen ceeds from fountains and cascades will be Nicolini exposed to a tempest in robes of more acceptable and refreshing to the peoermine, and sailing in an open boat upon ple of quality. In the mean time, to find a sea of pasteboard? What a field of rail-out a more agreeable entertainment for the lery would they have been let into, had winter season, the opera of Rinaldo‡ is fillthey been entertained with painted dra-ed with thunder and lightning, illuminagons spitting wildfire, enchanted chariots tions and fire-works; which the audience drawn by Flanders' mares, and real cas- may look upon without catching cold, cades in artificial landscapes? A little skill and indeed without much danger of being in criticism would inform us, that shadows burnt; for there are several engines filled and realities ought not to be mixed together with water, and ready to play at a minute's in the same piece; and that the scenes warning, in case any such accident should which are designed as the representations happen. However, as I have a very great of nature, should be filled with resem- friendship for the owner of this theatre, I blances, and not with the things them- hope that he has been wise enough to inselves. If one would represent a wide sure his house before he would let this champaign country filled with herds and opera be acted in it. flocks, it would be ridiculous to draw the country only upon the scenes, and to crowd several parts of the stage with sheep and oxen. This is joining together inconsistencies, and making the decoration partly real, and partly imaginary. I would recommend what I have said here to the directors, as well as to the admirers of our modern opera. As I was walking in the streets about a fortnight ago, I saw an ordinary fellow carrying a cage full of little birds upon his shoulder; and as I was wondering with myself what use he would put them to, he was met very luckily by an acquaintance who had the same curiosity. Upon his asking what he had upon his shoulder, he told him that he had been buying sparrows for the opera. Sparrows for the opera,' says his friend, licking his lips, what, are they to be roasted? No, no,' says the other, they are to enter towards the end of the first act, and to fly about the stage.' This strange dialogue awakened my curiosity so far, that I immediately bought the opera, by which means I perceived that the sparrows were to act the part of singing birds in a delightful grove; though upon a nearer inquiry I found the sparrows put the same trick upon the audience, that Sir Martin Mar-all* practised upon his mistress: for though they flew in sight, the music proceeded from a concert of flagelets and bird-calls, which were planted behind the scenes. At the same time I made this discovery, I found by the discourse of the actors, that there were great designs on foot for the improvement of the opera; that it had been proposed to break down a part of the wall, and to surprise the audience with a party of an hundred *Sir Martin Mar-all, or The Feigned Innocence; a comedy, by Dryden, made up of pieces borrowed from Quinault's Amant Indiscret,' the Etourdi' of Moliere, and M. du Parc's 'Francion.' It is no wonder that those scenes should be very surprising, which were contrived by two poets of different nations, and raised by two magicians of different sexes. Armida (as we are told in the argument) was an Amazonian enchantress, and poor Signior Cassani (as we learn from the persons represented) a Christian conjuror (Mago Christiano.) I must confess I am very much puzzled to find out how an Amazon should be versed in the black art, or how a good Christian, for such is the part of the magician, should deal with the devil. To consider the poet after the conjurors. I shall give you a taste of the Italian from the first lines of the preface: Eccoti, benigno lettore, un parto di poche sere, che se ben nato di notte, non e pero aborto di tenebre, ma si fara conoscere figlio d'Apollo con qualche raggio di Parnasso.'---Behold, gentle reader, the birth of a few evenings, which, though it be the offspring of the night, is not the abortive of darkness, but will make itself known to be the son of Apollo, with a certain ray of Parnassus.' He afterwards proceeds to call Mynheer Handel the Orpheus of our age, and to acquaint us, in the same sublimity of style, that he composed this opera in a fortnight. Such are the wits to whose tastes we so ambitiously conform ourselves. The truth of it is, the finest writers among the mo Credebant hoc grande nefas, et morte piandum, Juv. Sat. xiii. 54. dern Italians express themselves in such a | No. 6.] Wednesday, March 7, 1710-11.j. florid form of words, and such tedious circumlocutions, as are used by none but pedants in our own country; and at the same time fill their writings with such poor ima-Twas impious then (so much was age rever'd) ginations and conceits, as our youths are For youth to keep their seats when an old man appear'd. ashamed of before they have been two years at the university. Some may be apt to think that it is the difference of genius which produces the difference in the works of the two nations; but to show that there Such false impressions are owing to the abandoned writings of men of wit, and the awkward imitation of the rest of mankind. I KNOW no evil under the sun so great as the abuse of the understanding, and yet there is no one vice more common. It has diffused itself through both sexes, and all is nothing in this, if we look into the writ- qualities of mankind; and there is hardly that person to be found, who is not more ings of the old Italians, such as Cicero and concerned for the reputation of wit and Virgil, we shall find that the English sense, than of honesty and virtue. But writers, in their way of thinking and ex- this unhappy affectation of being wise rapressing themselves, resemble those au- ther than honest, witty than good-natured, thors much more than the modern Italians is the source of most of the ill habits of life. pretend to do. And as for the poet himself, from whom the dreams of this opera are taken, I must entirely agree with Monsieur Boileau, that one verse in Virgil is worth all the clinquant or tinsel of Tasso. night, that he was of opinion none but men For this reason Sir Roger was saying last But to return to the sparrows: there have of fine parts deserve to be hanged. The been so many flights of them let loose in reflections of such men are so delicate upon this opera, that it is feared the house will all occurrences which they are concerned never get rid of them; and that in other in, that they should be exposed to more plays they may make their entrance in than ordinary infamy and punishment, for very wrong and improper scenes, so as to offending against such quick admonitions as be seen flying in a lady's bed-chamber, their own souls give them, and blunting the or perching upon a king's throne; besides fine edge of their minds in such a manner, the inconveniences which the heads of the that they are no more shocked at vice and audience may sometimes suffer from them. folly than men of slower capacities. There I am credibly informed, that there was is no greater monster in being, than a very once a design of casting into an opera the ill man of great parts. He lives like a man story of Whittington and his cat, and that in a palsy, with one side of him dead. While in order to it, there had been got together perhaps he enjoys the satisfaction of luxury, a great quantity of mice; but Mr. Rich, the of wealth, of ambition, he has lost the taste proprietor of the play-house, very pru- of good-will, of friendship, of innocence. dently considered that it would be impos- Scarecrow, the beggar, Lincoln's-innsible for the cat to kill them all, and that fields, who disabled himself in his right leg, consequently the princes of the stage might and asks alms all day to get himself a warm be as much infested with mice, as the prince of the island was before the cat's Supper and a trull at night, is not half so arrival upon it; for which reason he would despicable a wretch, as such a man of not permit it to be acted in his house. And sensations; he finds rest more agreeable The beggar has no relish above indeed I cannot blame him; for, as he said than motion; and while he has a warm fire very well upon that occasion, I do not hear and his doxy, never reflects that he dethat any of the performers in our opera pre-serves to be whipped. Every man who tend to equal the famous pied piper, who terminates his satisfactions and enjoyments made all the mice of a great town in Ger- within the supply of his own necessities and many follow his music, and by that means passions, is, says Sir Roger, in my eye, as cleared the place of those little noxious animals. 'But,' conpoor a rogue as Scarecrow. sense. Before I dismiss this paper, I must in-vate virtue, we are beholden to your men tinued he, for the loss of public and priform my reader, that I hear there is a of fine parts forsooth; it is with them no treaty on foot between London and Wiset matter what is done, so it be done with an (who will be appointed gardeners of the air. But to me, who am so whimsical play-house) to furnish the opera of Rinaldo in a corrupt age as to act according to naand Armida with an orange-grove: and ture and reason, a selfish man, in the most that the next time it is acted, the singing- shining circumstance and equipage, apbirds will be personated by tom-tits, the undertakers being resolved to spare neither Pears in the same condition with the fellow pains nor money for the gratification of the audience. C. above mentioned, but more contemptible in proportion to what more he robs the public of, and enjoys above him. I lay it down therefore for a rule, that the whole man is to move together; that every action of any importance, is to have a prospect of public good: and that the general tendency of our indifferent actions ought to be agree- | any thing more common, than that we run able to the dictates of reason, of religion, in perfect contradiction to them? All which of good-breeding; without this, a man as I is supported by no other pretension, than have before hinted, is hopping instead of that it is done with what we call a good walking, he is not in his entire and proper grace. motion. Nothing cught to be held laudable or becoming, but what nature itself should prompt us to think so. Respect to all kinds of superiors is founded, I think, upon instinct; and yet what is so ridiculous as age? I make this abrupt transition to the mention of this vice, more than any other, in order to introduce a little story, which I think a pretty instance that the most polite age is in danger of being the most vicious. While the honest knight was thus bewildering himself in good starts, I looked attentively upon him, which made him, I thought, collect his mind a little. What I aim at,' says he, is to represent that I am of opinion, to polish our understandings, and neglect our manners, is of all things the most inexcusable. Reason should govern passion, but instead of that, you see, it is often subservient to it; and, as unaccountable as one would think it, a wise man is not always a good man.' This degeneracy is not only the guilt of particular persons, but also, at some times, of a whole people: and perhaps it may appear upon examination, that the most polite ages are the least virtuous. This may be attributed to the folly of admitting wit and learning as merit in themselves, without considering the application of them. By this means it becomes a rule, not so much to regard what we do, as how we do it. But this false beauty will not pass upon men of honest minds and true taste. Sir Richard Blackmore says, with as much good sense as virtue, 'It is a mighty shame and dishonour to employ excellent faculties and abundance of wit, to humour and please men in their vices and follies. The great enemy of mankind, notwithstanding his wit and angelic faculties, is the most odious being in the whole creation.' He goes on soon after to say, very generously, that he undertook the writing of his poem 'to rescue the Muses out of the hands of ravishers, to restore them to their sweet and chaste mansions, and to engage them in an employment suitable to their dignity.' This certainly ought to be the purpose of every man who appears in public, and whoever does not proceed upon that foundation, in- No. 7.] Thursday, March 8, 1710-11. jures his country as fast as he succeeds in his studies. When modesty ceases to be the chief ornament of one sex; and integrity of the other, society is upon a wrong basis, and we shall be ever after without rules to guide our judgment in what is really becoming and ornamental. Nature and reason direct one thing, passion and humour another. To follow the dictates of these two latter, is going into a road that is both endless and intricate; when we pursue the other, our passage is delightful, and what we aim at easily attainable. It happened at Athens, during a public representation of some play exhibited in honour of the commonwealth, that an old gentleman came too late for a place suitable to his age and quality. Many of the young gentlemen, who observed the difficulty and confusion he was in, made signs to him that they would accommodate him if he came where they sat. The good man bustled through the crowd accordingly; but when he came to the seats to which he was invited, the jest was to sit close and expose him, as he stood, out of countenance, to the whole audience. The frolic went round the Athenian benches. But on those occasions there were also particular places assigned for foreigners. When the good man skulked towards the boxes appointed for the Lacedæmonians, that honest people, more virtuous than polite, rose up all to a man, and with the greatest respect received him among them. The Athenians being suddenly touched with a sense of the Spartan virtue and their own degeneracy, gave a thunder of applause; and the old man cried out, "The Athenians understand what is good, but the Lacedæmonians practise it." R. I do not doubt but England is at present as polite a nation as any in the world; but any man who thinks, can easily see, that the affectation of being gay and in fashion, has very near eaten up our good sense and our religion. Is there any thing so just as that mode and gallantry should be built upon exerting ourselves in what is proper and agreeable to the institutions of justice and piety among us? And yet is there Somnia, terrores magicos, miracula, sngas, Visions, and magic spells, can you despise, as from real evils. I have known the shooting of a star spoil a night's rest; and have seen a man in love grow pale, and lose his appetite, upon the plucking of a merrythought. A screech-owl at midnight has alarmed a family more than a band of robbers; nay, the voice of a cricket hath struck more terror than the roaring of a lion. There is nothing so inconsiderable, which may not appear dreadful to an imagination that is filled with omens and prognostics. A rusty nail, or a crooked pin, shoot up into prodigies. family affairs, a little boy at the lower end of the table told her, that he was to go into join-hand on Thursday. Thursday!' says she, No, child, if it please God, you shall not begin upon Childermas-day; tell your writing-master that Friday will be soon enough.' I was reflecting with myself on the oddness of her fancy, and wondering that any body would establish it as a rule, to lose a day in every week. In the midst of these my musings, she desired me to reach her a little salt upon the point of my knife, which I did in such a trepidation and hurry of obedience, that I let it drop by the I remember I was once in a mixt assemway; at which she immediately startled, bly, that was full of noise and mirth, when and said it fell towards her. Upon this I on a sudden an old woman_unluckily oblooked very blank; and, observing the con- served there were thirteen of us in compacern of the whole table, began to consider ny. The remark struck a panic terror into myself, with some confusion, as a person several who were present, insomuch that that had brought a disaster upon the fami- one or two of the ladies were going to leave ly. The lady, however, recovering herself the room; but a friend of mine taking notice after a little space, said to her husband, that one of our female companions was big with a sigh, 'My dear, misfortunes never with child, affirmed there were fourteen in come single.' My friend, I found, acted the room, and that instead of portending one but an under part at his table, and being a of the company should die, it plainly foreman of more good-nature than understand-told one of them should be born. Had not my ing, thinks himself obliged to fall in with all the passions and humours of his yokefellow. Do not you remember, child,' says she, that the pigeon-house fell the very afternoon that our careless wench spilt the salt upon the table?' 'Yes,' says he, 'my dear, and the next post brought us an account of the battle of Almanza.' The reader may guess at the figure I made, after having done all this mischief. I despatched my dinner as soon as I could, with my usual taciturnity; when, to my utter confusion, the lady seeing me quitting my knife and fork, and laying them across one another upon my plate, desired me that I would humour her so far as to take them out of that figure, and place them side by side. What the absurdity was which I had committed I did not know, but I suppose there was some traditionary superstition in it; and therefore, in obedience to the lady of the house, I disposed of my knife and fork in two parallel lines, which is the figure I shall always lay them in for the future, though I do not know any reason for it. It is not difficult for a man to see that a person has conceived an aversion to him. For my own part, I quickly found by the lady's looks, that she regarded me as a very odd kind of fellow, with an unfortunate aspect. For which reason I took my leave immediately after dinner and withdrew to my old lodgings. Upon my return home, I fell into a profound contemplation on the evils that attend these superstitious follies of mankind; how they subject us to imaginary afflictions, and additional sorrows, that do not properly come within our lot. As if the natural calamities of life were not sufficient for it, we turn the most indifferent circumstances into misfortunes, and suffer as much from trifling accidents, friend found this expedient to break the omen, I question not but half the women in the company would have fallen sick that very night. An old maid, that is troubled with the vapours, produces infinite disturbances of this kind among her friends and neighbours. I know a maiden aunt, of a great family, who is one of these antiquated Sybils, that forebodes and prophesies from one end of the year to the other. She is always seeing apparitions and hearing death-watches; and was the other day almost frighted out of her wits by the great house-dog, that howled in the stable at the time when she lay ill of the tooth-ache. Such an extravagant cast of mind engages multitudes of people, not only in impertinent terrors, but in supernumerary duties of life; and arises from that fear and ignorance which are natural to the soul of man. The horror, with which we entertain the thoughts of death, (or indeed of any future evil) and the uncertainty of its approach, fill a melancholy mind with innumerable apprehensions and suspicions, and consequently dispose it to the observation of such groundless prodigies and predictions. For as it is the chief concern of wise men to retrench the evils of life by the reasonings of philosophy; it is the employment of fools to multiply them by the sentiments of superstition. For my own part, I should be very much troubled were I endowed with this divining quality, though it should inform me truly of every thing that can befal me. I would not anticipate the relish of any happiness, nor feel the weight of any misery, before it actually arrives. I know but one way of fortifying my soul against these gloomy presages and terrors of mind, and that is, by securing to myself the friendship and protection of that Being who disposes of events, and governs futurity. I must let you know, that the design of this He sees at one view the whole thread of paper is to give you information of a certain my existence, not only that part of it which irregular assembly, which I think falls very I have already passed through, but that properly under your observation, especially which runs forward into all the depths of since the persons it is composed of are eternity. When I lay me down to sleep, I criminals too considerable for the animadrecommend myself to his care; when I versions of our society. I mean, sir, the awake, I give myself up to his direction. Midnight Mask, which has of late been Amidst all the evils that threaten me, I will frequently held in one of the most conspiculook up to him for help, and question not ous parts of the town, and which I hear but he will either avert them, or turn them will be continued with additions and imto my advantage. Though I know neither provements. As all the persons who comthe time nor the manner of the death I am pose the lawless assembly are masked, we to die, I am not at all solicitous about it; dare not attack any of them in our way, lest because I am sure that he knows them both, we should send a woman of quality to Brideand that he will not fail to comfort and sup- well, or a peer of Great Britain to the Counport me under them. C. ter: besides that their numbers are so very great, that I am afraid they would be able to rout our whole fraternity, though we were accompanied with our guard of constables. Both these reasons, which secure them from our authority, make them obnoxious to yours; as both their disguise and Virg. n. i. 415. their numbers will give no particular person reason to think himself affronted by you. No. 8.] Friday, March 9, 1710-11. At Venus obscuro gradientes aere sepsit, They march obscure, for Venus kindly shrouds Dryden. I SHALL here communicate to the world a couple of letters, which I believe will give the reader as good an entertainment as any that I am able to furnish him with, and therefore shall make no apology for them: 'SIR, 'To the Spectator, &c. "I am one of the directors of the society for the reformation of manners, and therefore think myself a proper person for your correspondence. I have thoroughly examined the present state of religion in Great Britain, and am able to acquaint you with the predominant vice of every market town in the whole island. I can tell you the progress that virtue has made in all our cities, boroughs, and corporations; and know as well the evil practices that are committed in Berwick or Exeter, as what is done in my own family. In a word, Sir, I have my correspondents in the remotest parts of the nation, who send me up punctual accounts, from time to time, of all the little irregularities that fall under their notice in their several districts and divisions. "If we are rightly informed, the rules that are observed by this new society, are wonderfully contrived for the advancement of cuckoldom. The women either come by themselves, or are introduced by friends, who are obliged to quit them, upon their first entrance, to the conversation of any body that addresses himself to them. There are several rooms where the parties may retire, and if they please, show their faces by consent. Whispers, squeezes, nods, and embraces, are the innocent freedoms of the place. In short, the whole design of this libidinous assembly seems to terminate in assignations and intrigues; and I hope you will take effectual methods, by your public advice and admonitions, to prevent such a promiscuous multitude of both sexes from meeting together in so clandestine a manner. 'I am, Your humble servant, and fellow-labourer, 'T. B.' Not long after the perusal of this letter, I received another upon the same subject; which, by the date and style of it, I take to be written by some young templar: 'SIR, 'I am no less acquainted with the parMiddle Temple, 1710-11. ticular quarters and regions of this great "When a man has been guilty of any vice town, than with the different parts and dis- or folly, I think the best atonement he can tributions of the whole nation. I can de- make for it, is to warn others not to fall into scribe every parish by its impieties, and the like. In order to this I must acquaint can tell you in which of our streets lewd-you, that some time in February last I went ness prevails, which gaming has taken to the Tuesday's masquerade. Upon my possession of, and where drunkenness has first going in I was attacked by half a dozen got the better of them both. When I am female quakers, who seemed willing to disposed to raise a fine for the poor, I know adopt me for a brother; but upon a nearer the lanes and alleys that are inhabited by examination I found they were a sisterhood common swearers. When I would encou- of coquettes, disguised in that precise habit. rage the hospital of Bridewell, and improve I was soon after taken out to dance, and as the hempen manufacture, I am very well I fancied, by a woman of the first quality, acquainted with all the haunts and resorts for she was very tall, and moved gracefully. of female night-walkers. As soon as the minuet was over, we ogled one another through our masks; and as I After this short account of myself, I |